PAN International Issue 59

PAN Provisional Astroshamanic News
International Edition, 17 February 2007, Issue 59. Editorial Director: Franco Santoro.
Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Moray, Scotland. (+44(0)1309-672289. + PAN@astroshamanism.org

© 2006 Franco Santoro. All rights reserved. Permission must be granted by the author for publishing and use on websites. For permissions contact PAN@astroshamanism.org

What is Astroshamanism?

Welcome to this PAN reaching you on the day of St. Anthony of Egypt (17 January) and covering the upcoming cycle of Aquarius and the first week of February, the month of purification, which sets off with the festivals of Imbolc, or Candlemas! This is the peak of the winter creative emptiness and silence, shortly before the emerging fullness and verbosity of Spring. The pending season brings profuse activity and manifestation, which can either serve the healing transformational shift of the 2007-2012 cycles or routinely uphold our suffocating HAC separated perception. This may be a time of acute reflection and questioning about our underlying drive to be creative and involved in manifestation of any kind, including this newsletter. Is it our thrill to generate merely a monkeyish imitation urge to miserably add something to this HAC and thus protract the chains of our separated reality? Are we purely covering up with ostensible glorious creations the fright of our robotic extinction and the compelling propagation of the epidemic of HAC life?
This time of the year, preceding the HAC manifestation lunacy of Spring, is vital for purifying ourselves of those traits which keep us unconscious and numb, activating a challenging Aquarian alertness and casting provoking doubts on whatever we take for granted regarding what we do or are supposed to do. Does this HAC world continue to be the place it is because of the wicked deeds of a minority of tyrants and conspirators? Or is this HAC the result of what the majority of people mechanically, yet heinously, continue to perpetuate, while unquestionably considering it as the highest course of action?
The 2007-2012 cycles, as I see them, and especially the first of this six years, is more a period of questions rather than answers. And the questions we are invited to strenuously formulate are here those that we have never dared, or even thought, to ask. The answers to such questions are part of our binding HAC programming. They function as compulsory statements, which inescapably delete also the idea of framing questions. We need to retrieve the capacity to express those unmentionable queries that have been expurgated from our HAC mind into an out of bound zone, dense with shame and terror. It is only through the resolute reawakening of our uncontaminated enquiring mind that the seed of multidimensional liberty may either give birth to an alternative creation or let HAC develop its stories, while diving into the ecstatic acceptance of what is beyond its forlorn creation.
These winter months are part of a process of transformation rather than suppression or eradication. They involve being honest regarding our grievances and flaws, without feeing discouraged by their repetitive patterns. Here we need to acknowledge that perseverance is a primary attribute on the path if transformation and that all grievances are distorted expressions of most radiant qualities. Hence, instead of getting frustrated or overwhelmed by guilt whenever faults arise, the invitation is to detect what type of shining values they are misrepresenting and deforming. The question is: how can we transform our weaknesses into healing power?
This time of the year, and her feast day on 1 February, is associated with the Celtic goddess Brigit, who according to Scottish tradition every spring was the disposer of the blue-faced goddess of winter. This winter goddess depicts our HAC outworn structures, which still continue to be recycled in the creative process of Spring.
During this purification pre-Spring period, I am holding at Jesi, the first seminar of a special Annual Course in Astroshamanism. Later at Findhorn I am running the Foundation Training in Astroshamanism, with two modules: 17-24 February 2007, A Journey into the Inner Universe: and 24 February–3 March 2007, The Voyage through the Zodiac. This will be followed, from 9 to 13 March 2007, by a long-awaited workshop in Copenhagen (Denmark), titled Astroshamanic Touch and Primal Embrace Intensive: Navigating into the Multidimensional Matrix of Sex, (info: Peter Vibe, tel. +45 47771977 email petervibe@mail.tele.dk http://www.heartsound.dk/ )
Blessings, Franco

Candlemas – Imbolc. The first two days of February have since ancient times been celebrated as a midwinter sacred festival in honour of the upcoming return of the Sun. This is the decisive time of midwifery, when the divine mother enters into the final gestation for spring. The term Candlemas comes from the tradition of the Roman Missal where the celebrant of the Mass on 2 February blesses the beeswax candles for use during the year. According to HAC history candles have been used for more than 5000 years and were first developed by the Egyptians, although the Romans are credited with introducing wicks. The name candle comes from the Latin candere, which means “to shine”. Candlemas is an ideal time for reawakening our capacity to shine who we truly are in the separated darkness of this HAC world. “Wake up sleeper. Rise from the dead. Let the Christ enlighten you.” teaches the Gnostic Paul, summing up the core message of Christianity, which implies releasing our dormant identities based on separation and resurrecting our united luminous nature. Blessing candles on this day can be an empowering ceremony to exemplify this process and to remind it throughout the year, whenever those candles are used.
Candlemas commemorates the Purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple 40 days after his birth. It is the Christianised version of the Pagan celebration of Imbolc. Imbolc means, literally, “in the belly” (of the Mother), “in milk” or “milk wolf”. This festival marked the mid-way point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, and was celebrated with lights so as to accelerate the coming of spring. Although darkness was still prevalent in the sky, light gradually unveiled and needed encouragement to finally triumph. In the Pagan tradition Cernunnos, the Horned God, was the virile male deity ruling darkness. Imbolc represented the impregnation of the feminine deity by the masculine. The God of Darkness lit up his abode with candles to welcome the Goddess of Light and impregnate her. Light and Darkness are two inseparable polarities, who play their loving dance through the cycle of the year. Candles are sacred instruments for awareness and soul retrieval. Their light requires darkness in order to be seen, just as awareness and visibility are sustained by a background of unconscious and unseen reality. Blessing and using candles is a way to celebrate the light and to honour the dark roots of the path towards illumination. In the lunation cycle Candlemas is associated with the Crescent Moon, corresponding to 3 am in the daily cycle.
The festival is also called Brigit’s Day, with reference to the Irish triple Goddess Brigit (pronounced “breed”), known in Scotland as Bride, transformed by the Catholic Church into St. Brigit of Kildare, the patron of Ireland. Brigit is a Goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry, and healing. Similarly to the Roman Vesta, Brigit was associated with the perpetual and sacred flame, which is still maintained by 19 nuns at her sanctuary in Kildare. She was the goddess of whatever was regarded as non-HAC at a high level, and a triple goddess
In the United States and Canada, Candlemas evolved into Groundhog Day celebrated on the same date. Candlemas is often a reference for predicting the weather for the coming year. An old British rhyme tells that “if Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there’ll be two winters in the year”. Another custom is weaving “Brigit’s crosses” from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rituals of cleansing and purification, placing a lighted candle in each window of the house for a whole day, and obviously making candles.
In ancient Greece the beginning of February was also the time of the Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries or Festival of the Returning Daughter: an initiation into the lower mysteries, which unlike the Greater Eleusinian was open to many people. For both Celtic and Roman cultures, February was a period of physical and spiritual purification and initiation. During the mid-month Roman celebration of Lupercalia priests of the god Pan dressed in goatskin and carried thongs with which they whacked young women to make them fertile. Young half-naked men also ran around the Palatine Hill and Rome, and lashed young women with strips of skin from a slaughtered goat. The women appeared to appreciate the attention and often stripped in order to afford better targets. This was considered to bring fertility and good luck. The Lupercalia was a celebration of sensuality and one of the most popular festivals in Rome. From the Lupercalia and the earlier Saturnalia come the celebrations of Carnival typical of Catholic countries.
February comes from the Latin februa, literally “tools of purification”. In ancient Roman times the term februa indicated a large variety of purification implements, such as the clothes used to asperse the blood of sacrificial victims, the toasted spelt focaccia salty buns held by the priest during the purification of homes, and whatever was employed for purification purposes. From februa comes the verb februare, “to purify”. Februus was also the Roman god of purification. February unveils the arbitrary nature of human time and is the non-HAC setting par excellence, It is the shortest month and the only month with 28 or 29 days. The month has 29 days in leap years, when the year number is divisible by four, except for years that are divisible by 100 and not by 400! In other years the month has 28 days. February is about shape-shifting, unbridled freedom, and reversal of social customs, as exemplified by the Carnival celebrations. This makes it an ideal month for exploring alternative configurations, working with out of the ordinary reality or simply moving out of daily routine and doing something absolutely unpredictable or atypical.
February, and the sign of Aquarius, exemplifies the Heyoka spirit. A Heyoka or Contrary is someone who does everything backwards. For example, instead of saying “Hello!”, he says “Good-bye!”. He chants songs in a reverse order and before eating makes his hands dirty. These people upset HAC and smash down its barriers. Their presence serves to remind us to stay in the present and not to take our human setting for granted. Their capricious behaviour causes shocks and shifts in awareness that unveil gaps in the ordinary mind, thus making it possible to open up to new lessons. According to the Lakota tradition, the Heyoka are amazing people who have received a special initiation involving great powers and commitment. This often involves hiding their major spiritual powers under a false facade of shyness or foolishness. Similar sacred obligations, which were once common in many traditions, are now carried out by some wise teachers in disguise who can hardly ever be acknowledged in the ordinary reality. These people do not exhibit their talents and are not concerned with HAC achievements or recognition. They operate behind the scenes and are often the true teachers or inspirational sources of many popular spiritual authorities.

A Letter from Vienna: How I was drawn to astroshamanism.
It was the summer of 2003. I had just moved to Vienna and was still feeling quite disoriented and alienated. One day I was leafing through the Findhorn programme when I spotted a page announcing one of Franco’s workshops. Now, I have always had a strong affinity for both shamanism and astrology, but it was mostly Franco’s picture that exerted an enormous pull on me. I was immediately struck by his eyes. My God, I thought, just look at those eyes, look at the wisdom, depth and stillness that lie within! I showed a friend and couldn’t believe that she didn’t agree. How could anyone fail to see this?
Since none of Franco’s workshops fit my schedule, I decided to do an experience week. I flew in on a Friday and spent the night in a caravan in the Park. When I went to bed that evening, I noticed a bookshelf above my head, and was surprised to see that it was lined with several copies of Franco’s books. I brought it up the following morning at breakfast, and it turned out that my hostess (Lynn Barton) had done the editing for Franco’s books. I remember thinking that she was very lucky to edit something so fascinating. I had at that point done a lot of proofreading myself - not for anything shamanic or astrological, but rather for medical research articles, notably on bowel diseases. I had quit, not on account of the gory details, but because of the cold medical language. It wasn’t until three years later that I finally participated in an astroshamanic workshop.
Franco has appeared in many dreams, first appearing during the Original Quest week. In my dreams he is usually my teacher, and I am taking part in one of his workshops, along with several other participants. Often his presence is fairly inconspicuous, I see him in the background and know that it is he who is providing the spark to the actions, to all kinds of rituals, dances, etc. Once I saw him in trance, speaking in a foreign tongue, then shape-shifting into a fox and disappearing in the mountains. In one dream an eerie creature from outer space is sitting in a chair while we prepare to do a sacred dance. Or we, a group of women, are on a beach in Greece and our intent is to retrieve ancient dances and songs simply by trying to perceive them, acknowledge them, dancing them and thus allowing them to return via our bodies. Or the task is to retrieve the spirit of a cause in a remote mountain range, and I have to fight against a dominant world order to achieve this. Some dreams are impossible to put into words. Often Franco talks at length to me or to a group, but most of the time I can’t recall exactly what it is he is saying. This doesn’t seem to matter. I feel that some level of my being is absorbing his teachings, and maybe I am not meant to remember it in HAC just yet.
I particularly like the following dream because it shows that the spirit world won’t let me down! In August I was in the south of France with my boyfriend and his two youngest children. We are having a nice time, there are many pleasant distractions, we go on excursions to the mountains, the beach, and the wine is flowing. For the first and only time since the Original Quest I neglect my astroshamanic practice for 4 days in a row. I also lose track of time, I don’t know what date it is any more, but I really don’t want to miss the entrance of the sun into Virgo, and in fact don’t know when that is exactly. One night I have a very intense dream about enrolling in a Virgo workshop. I go to a place like Findhorn that is located high up on a mountain behind my apartment. This Findhorn-like place is built into the mountain, with an entrance like the opening of a cave. It can only be reached by funicular. So there I am, I register, lots of people are milling about. And sure enough, I spot Franco in the distance. He silently acknowledges my arrival. Then I am in a room with the others, there are lots of Virgos present, we shop-talk about having the sun in this sign while waiting for the workshop to begin. We also are supposed to fast. Parallel to Franco’s workshop, I enrol in a seminar on Christianity. (When I get home, I realise that this dream took place in the night of August 23-24.)
There indeed seems to be a connection between Christianity and astroshamanism for me. I loathed going to church as a child, so vehemently that my mother saw that there was no point in forcing me to be confirmed. I was furious that I had to sit in church, Sunday after Sunday, and participate in what to me was a meaningless farce, pretending to be holy, when not a single bone in my body felt anything at all. The smell of incense intimidated me, and churches were generally unfriendly, unwelcoming places. Gothic churches were jagged teeth in a hideous jaw that wanted to devour me, and so on. About 6 years ago, though, I walked into a church for no apparent reason and came upon an excerpt from the Gospel of John. I was amazed that it appealed to me, and in fact was truly moved. That day marked a gradual shift in my perception.
This connection between Christianity and astroshamanism was confirmed by a dream in mid-October: I dreamt that Franco sent me an email. I see that he has included several pictures by some of the old masters, integrated in the text of this email. My computer can’t seem to decode the pictures properly, but I know some of them are paintings of John of Patmos (John the Evangelist). About half of the email is written in German, and I am duly impressed. Typically, I can’t recall the exact content, but it has something to do with this connection between astroshamanism and Christianity. It feels like he is pointing me in this direction.
And I can hardly believe it when Christ himself appears in the Spirit Circle one day, and announces himself in another way during a separate journey.
This past Christmas Day I was in the lovely Gosau valley. We go for a walk, my boyfriend wants to show me the elaborately carved nativity scene in the church. The church is empty. It gives me a nice feeling, when suddenly I am seized by a powerful urge to open the Spirit Circle right then and there. It was a longing that I have never felt before, I wanted to awaken the Spirit Circle in this space, sing to it with all my heart and hear the echoes of my voice ring in every corner. That might sound really corny, but it’s true. There was no paradox in wanting to superimpose my normal opening ritual onto this church setting.
The following a very intense dream on the full moon in October. I am in a kind of circular corridor. It seems to run around the entire circumference of an ancient building. The stone walls are very thick and old. There are others there with me, we are taking part in one of Franco’s seminars. Then I come across Franco. But I am so shocked! He looks like an evil, Machiavellian principe, a cold-blooded aristocrat, with long wavy hair, well-groomed, powdered face, flourishing moustache, handsomely dressed. I feel so betrayed! He was my wonderful teacher! And to top it off, he is having an affair with one of my brothers (R.), who lingers idly in the background and plays the part of a spoilt, dandyish nobleman. Why didn’t R. tell me that he knew Franco? R. and I have always shared our significant shamanic experiences.
I continue down this corridor when I suddenly come to an area that gives my whole body a fierce jolt. I can hardly keep my body upright, let alone walk. And the worst thing is a high-pitched, disembodied scream that seems to be emanating from the chamber behind the wall. It is not a scream that is audible with the normal senses, it’s more like an energy that this area is drenched with. I become aware that this chamber used to be a prison, and was most likely a place where torture took place. Suddenly Franco stands beside me, fully restored to the Franco that I know, and he says, yes, this is an area that needs to be healed. And despair gives way to hope, I am so relieved. At the same time it feels like the end of the second world war, and this setting is like a concentration camp, the whole place is in shambles. But there is hope, the air is filled with the spirit of rebuilding. There’s lots of work to be done, but it is good.
This dream is about a reunion of the Original Quest workshop participants (I don’t really recognise anybody though). I am hosting a dinner party for everyone with my ex-boyfriend P. This is supposed to be a feast, but when we sit down to dinner I realise that all I can offer my guests is a bland, white, gelatinous pie. How awful! (Now it doesn’t seem so bad, as everyone gets a sector, a slice of the pie, but in the dream I am really embarrassed.) And since our guests have come from far and wide, I am further mortified that I have not arranged for accommodation. Many won’t be able to go home that night. Several disgruntled guests have already gone to a kind of makeshift bar next door, looking pretty sour, not at all looking forward to spending a night sitting upright, sipping drinks. Then I start going from person to person. I want to collect grievances to do a cleansing ritual. This is met with much scorn, and only few give me something to work with. Then I am back in the room where dinner took place. The table and chairs have been cleared away and we are sitting in a circle. The circle is not complete, there are many holes, but we leave it that way. Now it’s time to do my cleansing ritual. I feel so awkward, so stupid, don’t really know how it works, but my desire to do this is stronger than my sense of shame. And Franco is in this circle too. He sits across from me, slightly to my left. He quietly watches me but make no attempt to silence the words of condemnation that a few are heaping on me. He leaves it entirely up to me. But I can sense the joy that is spreading inside him. Deep inside, he is so happy that yet another person has dared to take this step.
Then we become aware of a somewhat corpulent man sitting slouched on the floor. He has a wreath on his head and looks a lot like Bacchus. He’s looking really pathetic, and somehow mirth starts to spread in the room. We are not really laughing at him, but he is so hilariously out of character that we can’t take him seriously. Then we suddenly break into song, it’s a sweet little ditty with words a bit like this: Eyes are... / ... / Penny on the brow. It’s a great little song, we are having fun singing it. We see a penny on his brow. This penny weighs down his eyebrows, forming a frown, and all we have to do is remove it to restore his good mood. This dream was recorded on November 24.
I dream that Franco is doing a ‘posture healing’ on me. We are in a beautiful park outside an Italian town. What came to mind upon waking is San Gimignano, I see towers in the distance, but it’s neither that small nor is it concentrated on one hill. Franco is across from me in the grass, we are quite far apart. He does a posture and I have to copy it. Therein lies the healing. We don’t speak. He does a ‘bird posture’, pushing his elbows and shoulders into the ground. I begin to copy him, but it reminds me of a ‘grasshopper posture’, and I begin to do this instead. I realise my mind is being chatty, I want to tell Franco about the grasshopper posture, but remain silent, and try to focus on the bird posture. When I do, I feel a strong yank to the left, and a great feeling of being out of control washes over me. I feel like a wounded bird. The healing lies in becoming aware of repressed pain. Even though I am totally engrossed in this experience, I notice Franco’s face. He is looking on with great curiosity. (July 27)
I had an upsetting weekend away from Vienna. It is Sunday night, I am back at home, but I am still so wired. A crazy energy is coursing through my body and I am unable to calm down. Nevertheless, I try to fall asleep. Suddenly I see Franco emerge from the corner of the room where I keep some of my shamanic things like my drum, my rattle. Also, I see an insect. First I only see its legs, and I shudder. They are so long and black. But then I see that it’s a bee. Franco does something to my spine, like siphoning off the excess energy. When I wake up, my back is still jerking from the treatment. I feel an intense tingling in my spine. (November 19)
In another dream I am with Franco at a congress. People are taking their seats in preparation for the first presentation. Franco is sitting in front of me, slightly on the right. Sometimes he turns back and to me, we talk. Then I notice something odd about his eyebrows. They are not really horizontal, but rather go up vertically between his eyes. When I take a closer look, I realise that this gives him a devilish look, as though he had devil’s horns. But there isn’t anything evil about them, and he is not at all acting out of the ordinary. There is deep meaning in these “devil’s horns”, they are very charged. (13 August)
Maria Hutzinger

Single mothers, the shamanic crusaders of the black creatoress by Geline Brunt
What is the role of shamanic single mothers? Where do they belong within the tribe? Their roots belong to
the primordial cult of the Black Creatress, the life and death giver. She could retrieve, vivify and connect the pieces of life and death. Her icon shapeshifted in many different forms but her authentic message remained the same. How could she be so forgotten and left in the corner? For many centuries these cult members where persecuted and suppressed in many cruel ways because they knew the secret code to unity. Through intermediators from other healing realms the cult was reactivated under a new disguise; the single mothers, the shamanic crusaders.
Here follows some disclosures about the secret of the cult.
In the early evolution, motherhood was the only recognised bond of relationship. The connection between sexuality and childbearing was unknown. The child was an astrological gift for the tribe. The dependency of mother and child was not on a man but on the tribal circle. The tribe fulfilled the role of parent and provided the energetic "mothermilk". The unity between all of us is our relation with motherhood. We where all fed by blood and milk. Shamanic tribes where based on the sacred knowledge that the three holy colours where carriers of the universal holy trinity of unity. Also indentfied as the Sacred Tree. (White, mothermilk, Red, the blood, Black, the womb tomb) It is the heartbeat and the body of the black creatoress, which is our multidimensional shamanic home of unity.
Being a single mother is one of a wounded healer, a warrior. She is the crusader, her sacrifices are for the healing of separation of the supreme. It is her mission to retrieve the memory of our true home and soulunity .The defeat of the cult of the black creatress was created to prevent the tribes of finding their homes. In this HAC reality the madness of being a single mother goes beyond words. The grief of the loss of her tribe, the suffocation of her creative powers. The pain of being shamanically amputated trough the limitations of HAC, economically, emotionally, creatively and spiritually.
It is my dream and vision as a shamanic crusader to go beyond these limitations. To live with a tribal circle who can enliven these authentic sacred values again.
Partnerships or Relationships between women and man were unknown. The tribal circle had a common deep understanding that women and man where only connected through their astrological map within the tribe map. So everyone of the tribe accepted the fact that each of them embodied their role they astrologically were gifted with. All roles were deeply respected. Interaction between two roles was often a result of the strong energetic impulses of the vibrations of the astro tribe map.
Therefore possession of anybody, power struggles, jealousy or personal projections were not recorded. That is how the tribe succeed to live and love in unity. It is time now to decode ourselves from the conditional HAC imprint related to relationships. Connect again to your energetic astromap within the tribe map. You will recognise your authentic role and allow yourself to perform it without fear of separation.

Notes on Franco’s Workshop Manifesting Honourable Intentions (Part Two)
(27 December 2006– 3 January 2007) by Celia

Two initial practices were described in the last PAN which started the process of defining the Intent and drawing energy towards this. This process continues with the following work:

1. Listing Intentions
Now it is time to make a list of specific Intentions. Brainstorm, do not place them in order, collect a random list. Whatever you feel you would like to have or be.
It is also possible to move first into the obstacles if this comes easier for you; if the obstacles keep getting in the way. If we go into them fully, inevitably the opposite polarity will be attracted and we will see what was there underneath the block. We will find the intention. It doesn’t matter which way we approach it. Only that we give it full energy.

2. Using Astrology to support the Intent
Utilising the lunar cycle and the astrological chart is an ideal way of working with your Intent. This takes advantage of the positions of the sun and moon to support the different stages.
With the New Moon, when sun and moon are in the same position (conjunct), this is an ideal time for the Intent to emerge. This idea is still used in some areas of agriculture, when planting takes place at this time. It is important to be receptive at this time, to accept the state of confusion and uncertainty where I don’t know what my intent is. Create a void where you are open to receiving the information. If this is stage is missed out, if I rush, I may just let my ordinary mind decide and something precious may be suffocated. Accept the void and you will see that what is natural, what is authentic will emerge.
As the moon gradually emerges from New to Full, this is the time of taking action, taking the initiative, with the aim of achieving the climax at the Full Moon. The climax may be the actual manifestation of the Intent or the taking of crucial steps if the Intent is a longer-term one.
As the moon wanes, the time is right for refining, for dealing with details, releasing what is not necessary and preparing for the new cycle. Ideally, it is good to work with three full cycles of the moon. During these cycles, the moon will pass through each astrological sector three times and as it moves, it stimulates these energies in us. It is like receiving a kind of acupuncture. The Intent gains in perspective, seen from each of the twelve perspectives. During this period the Intention may change, become redefined or refocused and a clearer course of action may emerge.
Refining the Intent is another crucial part of the process. Every process of manifestation involves a risk- I may not like what I thought I wanted! But it is necessary to find out. Correcting is an essential part of the process. Many people get blocked by making mistakes, but these are an essential part of the process to realising my “final” intent. The energy of Saturn is important here; it involves learning from mistakes and moving on, rather than focussing on them and becoming stuck.

Seasons
It may be helpful to use the annual cycle of nature to support the setting of intents. These contain moments to set the intentions… and moments to enjoy them. Spring is the pioneering time, of setting the intention. Summer the time of manifestation, Autumn, the time of composting and release. Winter the time of reflection and withdrawal.

Practice 3: Using the Astrological Circle to set 12 Intentions
The aim of this practice is to create an intent for each sector. Afterwards we can examine these and prioritise and narrow them down. But first let’s open ourselves to receiving the energy and support of each sector.
Set the astrological circle and position yourself intuitively. Be open to the energy of the planet, of the god of this sector and receive clarification and amplification of your Intention. Then move to another sector and repeat the process until you have moved through each sector and written down an Intention for each one. Write down whatever comes to mind. One Intention may be a secret one, which you may prefer not to share. You can use symbols for this.

Practice 4: Giving the Intention Concrete Form
Now choose one of the Intentions on your list. You may find that some are similar or connected and wish to bring them together. Identify a concrete form that can represent the Intent- you may want to create a drawing or write a list etc. It doesn’t need to be understandable to others, just visible.
To do this, first remember the moment when you felt this Intent or the “essence” of this Intent the most strongly, the Epiphany. It may have been in a dream or a shamanic journey, or I may have seen it in another person and wanted to be like them. Or it may have been a moment when I simply became that person- I just do it and it is acknowledged and brings joy and I have the sudden realisation that I can do something different. Remember these moments.
And also acknowledge the blocks, the things that have to be released and give these concrete form too. You can write them down and place them in a container, a “compost bin”, for later release.

3. Connecting with Spirit Guides
Connecting with Spirit Guides, provides essential support. Creating agreements with them can greatly improve our chances of success. But it is important to go into these agreements with great care and sense of responsibility. Whatever agreement I make with a spirit being I must honour it, or I will lose credibility in the spirit world.
Part of me believes that what I wish to achieve is not possible, I am tempted to adopt a half-hearted attitude. I must take time to decide if I really want to commit to the Intent and to making an agreement with spirit that I will honour. Taking a cycle of the moon to decide is a good strategy. It is important to understand that it is ok to release the Intention, to decide that it is not right after all. What is essential is to take responsibility and not go into the role of victim.

Practice 5: Making Agreements with Spirit
Connect with your Spirit being in your own way and commit to some action to support your Intent. This action may be quite unrelated to the actual Intent. It is the non-HAC contribution. For example you may agree to hug a tree or meditate etc. Be specific about both the Intent and the practice.
If your Intent is a large or long-term one, set a smaller, linked one as a step on the way. We need to see short-term accomplishments to keep us motivated and optimistic and prevent the work feeling like a “duty” with no satisfaction. I must avoid making myself feel like a victim of my Intent. The energy gained from the manifestation of the small steps is the same as that of achieving the main Intent. The human brain does not understand the difference.
The invitation is to set a short-term goal that can be achieved within one month.
Of course, as well as non-HAC activity, I must also commit myself to taking any necessary action in HAC. I need to let my intention be known. It is important to realise that I don’t need to wait until the right conditions develop; until there is an apparent “gap” for me to step into. If I set the Intent the environment will respond.

4. Maintaining an Attitude of Detachment
Now I have identified my Intent and set the process in motion…I let go. Adopting an attitude of detachment is crucial. This doesn’t mean that I no longer care about the outcome, but rather that I am declaring my availability to release it in case it is not aligned with what I am truly meant to do. I let go of the obsession with manifestation, so the energy may more easily flow and other outcomes can easily develop as well as those I currently feel are more appropriate.
What we perceive is not really happening. Spirit may lure us towards what we crave for (or think we crave for) so that we will work with enthusiasm and focus our energy. And in the process we may come to a different awareness of what we truly want. In this new awareness, we may still manifest our original desire, but this may no longer be as important to us as our new level of awareness. And this process may go on and on and be part of the work of future generations. And viewing it like this is another form of detachment.
So after you have set your Intention…let go of it. But hold it regularly, even for 10 minutes at a time.
Another way of creating this detachment is to work collectively, globally and create a Circle of Intention where other people’s Intentions become as important as your own. Where you work on behalf of all the Intentions and there is no individual achievement or competition. Achievement is collective. After all, if the Intents are honourable, they are really all the same, for they are aimed at creating unity. The apparently “individual” Intent is simply the “bait”.

Practice 6: Collectivising the Intent
Choose an Intent to put into the Circle of Intention and a practice that you will take over the course of a month. This may be a spiritual practice or a more pragmatic action. Both Intent and the practice must be pragmatic- it must be obvious whether or not they have been achieved. This practice you are agreeing to undertake is not just aimed at supporting your own Intention, but also those of the whole group. Make an agreement to see the achievement of any Intent as an achievement for everyone. This will also support the slower developing Intents.

5. The Second Stage: Composting
The three stages of Intention Setting, Composting and Manifestation are not clearly distinct. Each may be fluid and overlap one another. As soon as I begin the work to set my Intent I begin to face all the conditioning that is against me manifesting my objective i.e. the gap between HAC and non-HAC.
At this stage many people give up. They lose sight of the Intention. They lose all hope. It is difficult to keep faith and trust in it. It is like travelling to a poor country full of good intentions and commitment to use your skills and energy to help people; to create a better world. Away from your home environment in the West, you are on your own, unsupported and gradually the scale of what you are up against; the grinding, insurmountable poverty and pain and despair overwhelm you and you wonder what on earth you were thinking when you decided to come here. All your optimism and energy seeps away. Yet you know the West still exists, that there is a place and people where your vision was manifested and is still supported. But there is no one to support the vision you received in non-HAC, in your imagination. It seems much lonelier and harder to retain focus and keep going, remembering the point of passion and commitment and will that brought you to this point. At this stage one must simply endure and release the dark stage.
The awareness that the grievances that come have the purpose of energising the Intent, acting as compost, can greatly assist us to move through this period. Although they appear to me to be personal in reality they are collective. I have inherited both the aspirations and the grievances of my ancestors and these emotional “blocks” are part of the planet. They have confronted and limited all my ancestors. It is important to realise this and understand that I do not have the whole responsibility to deal with them.
Allow yourself to become an open channel for them; do not hold on to them and identify yourself with them. They have come for the purpose of fertilising your dreams.
The distance between the second stage and third stage is very subtle. There is no gradual, measurable progression. It simply happens.

6. What makes an Intent Honourable?
An Intent is honourable if it supports the planet; if it brings benefit to all beings. It must not be conditional on the behaviour of another being. It must focus on experience rather than on individual “characters”.
If your intention involves specific people, e.g. you would like to have a relationship with “Mary”, it is fine to use this as an inspiration, to harness this energy of desire, but you must not expect the manifestation to include Mary herself. Her destiny may lie elsewhere and it is not honourable to try to influence this. To do so is a form of “black magic”. Leave characters free and be open to any outcome. Some people may come to you as stimulation; as “gateways” to greater awareness. Allow the multidimensional to work with you and open up to possibilities.
An Intent is honourable if it creates unity and avoids separation; if it brings power and healing. One test is to ask yourself whether the effects of its manifestation would survive seven generations. Or whether it would survive the moment of death. i.e. would it still have importance for you at the moment of your death?

Binaries:
11.12 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Pisces) integrates the Aquarius qualities with Pisces’s emotional sensitivity, imagination and transcendence. They highly resonate with non-ordinary frequencies and are able to align with most expanded and advanced states of consciousness, providing abundant inspiration to their environment. Spontaneously friendly and devoted, they combine unconditional involvement with loving detachment, which allows them to be in good terms with all sorts of people.
11.1 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Aries) is a blend of fixed Air and cardinal Fire mixing Aquarius’s inventiveness, innovation and friendship with Aries’s initiative, directness and fighting spirit. Those who resonate with this combination[ii] are lively, intelligent, brave and adventurous beings, fully aligned with a brotherhood-sisterhood spirit and capable of implementing it through their original style of life. The intellectual freedom of Aquarius and the independent pioneering drive of Aries may generate a firm, assertive, uncompromising character, with the inpatient tendency of precipitating events and not at ease with interferences presented on the path.
11.2 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Taurus) integrates fixed Air and fixed Earth blending Aquarius’s humanitarian spirit, genius, rebelliousness and originality with Taurus’s sensuality, patience, pragmatism and determination. Reliable, loyal, kind-hearted and friendly, they are deeply motivated to ground and give form to the Aquarian idealism and progressive spirit, yet mainly in a patient and relaxed way. The combination of fixed signs strengthens the will-power and a certain dosage of stubbornness.
11.3 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Gemini) integrates the Aquarius qualities with Gemini’s flexibility, versatility and wit. Intellectuality, idealism and group networking spirit are emphasized, together with a humorous originality, which brings a sense of genial unpredictability in their activities. Communication, love relationships, friendships and companionships are vital for these folks, as well as the need to get out of the routine and explore new ventures.
11.4 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Cancer) is a blend of fixed Air and cardinal Water mixing Aquarius’s inventiveness, rebelliousness and friendship with Cancer’s sensitivity and tenacity. Those who resonate with this combination[iii] are humanitarian, compassionate, idealistic and romantic folks, with an authentic warm and friendly spirit, considerable charm and beauty.
11.5 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Leo) integrates fixed Air and fixed Fire blending Aquarius’s humanitarian spirit, genius, independence and originality with Leo’s strength, radiance and creativity. This combination generates ardent humanitarian folks, blending detached and enlightened logic with romantic openness and abundant generosity.
11.6 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Virgo) integrates the Aquarius qualities with the mutable Earth flexibility of Virgo. Endowed with outstanding intelligence and analytical capacities, these folks blend an innovative and rebellious mind with a prudent, discriminating and precise nature. They are motivated by genuine friendship and service, operating with mental dexterity and refined attention to details.
11.7 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Libra) is a blend of fixed Air and cardinal Air mixing Aquarius’s inventiveness, innovation and friendship with Libra’s balance, harmony and grace. Those who resonate with this combination[iv] are light, unconventional, diplomatic and social beings, with far-reaching intellect, great capacities of communication and persuasiveness. They are masters in the art of sociability, skilful in moving harmoniously with the spontaneous flow while at the same time steering the wheel and introducing unexpected or provocative developments.
11.8 (Sun in Aquarius and Moon in Scorpio) is a blend of fixed Air and fixed Water, integrating Aquarius’s originality, synchronicity and brother-sisterhood with Scorpio’s intensity, magnetism and passion. This binary produces attractive and strong individuals, with social charisma, ambitious intentions and penetrating intellect. Persistent and forceful, they focus on their tasks and achieve them with relentless determination. They blend scientific rationality and detachment with deep passion and sensuality, encompassing the extremes of human nature.

Celebrities: In this section please find lists of celebrities related to the above binaries. If available also the Ascendant (AS) is given in brackets. The AS may create an additional binary with either the Sun or Moon, or also provide clues about the integration zone between Sun and Moon.
11.12: Charlotte Rampling (AS Aquarius); Paul Newman (AS Capricorn); Franz Schubert (AS Capricorn); Ramakrishna (AS Capricorn); André Citroen; Jose Arguelles (AS Leo); Eddie Izzard; Roger Vadim; King Vidor.
11.1: Francis Bacon (AS Aquarius); Jacques Prevert (AS Virgo); Virginia Woolf (AS Gemini); Jennifer Brown (AS Cancer); Thomas More (AS Sagittarius); Anton Chekhov (AS Libra).
11.2: Natassja Kinski (AS Scorpio); Juliette Greco (AS Libra); Ronald Reagan (AS Sagittarius); Steve Reeves; Jim Jarmusch (AS Leo).
11.3: William Burroughs (AS Aquarius); Jane Seymour; Barbara Hand Clow (AS Leo); John McEnroe; Elaine Pagels; Karen Velez.
11.4: Farrah Fawcett (AS Cancer); Clark Gable (AS Capricorn); Simone Weil (AS Sagittarius); Franklyn D. Roosevelt (AS Cancer); Christian Dior (AS Scorpio); Nick Nolte (AS Taurus); Robert Wagner (AS Sagittarius); Eva Gabor (AS Cancer); Lord Byron (AS Cancer); Boris Elstin (AS Cancer); Situ Rimpoche (AS Virgo); Benny Hill (AS Aquarius); Romain Rolland (AS Scorpio); Antonio Gramsci (AS Aries); Marija Gimbutas (AS Leo); John Ruskin (AS Aquarius); Humphry Bogart; Fritjof Capra; Norman Mailer.
11.5: Tom Selleck (AS Capricorn); Roberto Rossellini (AS Virgo); James Joyce (AS Capricorn); Francois Rabelais (AS Sagittarius); Oliver Reed (AS Scorpio); Jack Lemmon (AS Cancer); Sharon Case; Terry Jones; Edouard Lalo; Thomas Merton; Graham Nash (AS Scorpio); Rene Russo.
11.6: John Travolta (AS Cancer); Sharon Tate; Stendhal (AS Scorpio); Eva Braun; Vanessa Redgrave (AS Leo); Georges Simenon (AS Scorpio); Alessandro Volta; Aldo Palazzeschi (AS Scorpio); Frederick Delius; Boris Spassky; Gertrude Stein (AS Pisces).
11.7: Kim Novak (AS Aquarius); Edouard Manet (AS Leo); Valery Giscard d’Estaing (AS Libra); Natalie Cole (AS Leo); Emmanuel Swedenborg (AS Capricorn); Paul Fort; Burt Reynolds (AS Gemini); Charles Webster Leadbeater (AS Gemini); Marc de Jonge; Boris Pasternak (AS Leo); Lorena McKennitt (AS Virgo); Robert Boyle; Joseph L. Mankiewicz (AS Scorpio); Bertold Brecht (AS Sagittarius); Kitaro.
11.8: Bob Marley (AS Sagittarius); James Dean (AS Sagittarius); Jules Verne (AS Gemini); Phil Collins (AS Libra); Zsa Zsa Gabor; Placido Domingo; John Belushi; Thomas Bernhard; Giovanni Arpino; Guy Fawkes; Alex Comfort; Emily Harris.

Disclaimer: All information provided in PAN is presented solely for inspirational or recreational reading, and it is not meant to substitute the recipient’s direct experience and investigation. The information is also given to strategically exemplify the different features of astroshamanic cosmology and is not intended to reflect Franco’s opinion or astroshamanism in general. Franco does not necessarily endorse any of the ideas and views expressed in this literature, including his own.

[i] All times in PAN are given in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time).
[ii] Astroshamanically we resonate with all combinations and can express them by simply attuning to their frequency. Astrologically there is a strong connection with this binary when it reflects in the position of your Sun and Moon in sign, house, ruling planets, nodes, transits, angles-Sun or Moon combinations.
[iii] Astroshamanically we resonate with all combinations and can express them by simply attuning to their frequency. Astrologically there is a strong connection with this binary when it reflects in the position of your Sun and Moon in sign, house, ruling planets, nodes, transits, angles-Sun or Moon combinations.
[iv] Astroshamanically we resonate with all combinations and can express them by simply attuning to their frequency. Astrologically there is a strong connection with this binary when it reflects in the position of your Sun and Moon in sign, house, ruling planets, nodes, transits, angles-Sun or Moon combinations.